Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

What is Evolutionary History?02:35

What is Evolutionary History?

43.7K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
43.7K
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

1.0K
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
1.0K
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

380
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
380
The Auditory Ossicles01:11

The Auditory Ossicles

3.2K
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
3.2K
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

7.1K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
7.1K
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

1.1K
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...
1.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Activities of daily living and their neural correlates across the Alzheimer's disease continuum: Evidence from a Latin American cohort.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2026
Same author

Global neural oscillations underlie performance variability and attentional state fluctuations in humans.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

The emergence of the modern human Mind: Inner speech and its link to memory mechanisms.

Brain research·2026
Same author

Coupling between neural oscillations and white matter integrity reveals cognitive computational profiles following COVID-19.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

White matter volume and microstructural integrity are associated with fatigue in relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

From Multimodal Sensorimotor Integration to Semantic Networks: A Phylogenetic Perspective on Speech and Language Evolution.

Neurobiology of language (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025
Same journal

Relationship between spontaneous EEG oscillations at 7 and 45 days of acute plateau exposure and the plateau acclimatization index.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Neuroprotective effects of paederoside against mitochondrial dysfunction in rotenone-induced cell models of Parkinson's disease.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Covariance-based analysis of spindle-band EEG during declarative and non-declarative odor cueing in sleep.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Correction: Physiological determinants of cortical P100 responses in pattern visual evoked potentials: a scoping review.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Transcranial magnetic stimulation and motor overflow: a systematic review in neurological disorders.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Editorial: Advancing neurodegenerative disease biomarkers: the role of neuroimaging in TDP-43 and tau proteinopathies.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG
07:52

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.4K

A Brain for Speech. Evolutionary Continuity in Primate and Human Auditory-Vocal Processing.

Francisco Aboitiz1

  • 1Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Frontiers in Neuroscience
|April 12, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human speech evolved from primate vocalizations through critical neural changes, including direct cortical control and an auditory-vocal circuit, enhancing vocal learning and leading to modern language. Gestural communication initially co-evolved but speech became dominant.

Keywords:
animal vocalizationarcuate fasciculusevolutionspeechworking memory

More Related Videos

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
09:09

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

10.6K
Author Spotlight: Advancements in the Fabrication of Synthetic Vocal Fold Models for Phonetic and Robotic Applications
06:24

Author Spotlight: Advancements in the Fabrication of Synthetic Vocal Fold Models for Phonetic and Robotic Applications

Published on: January 5, 2024

1.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG
07:52

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.4K
Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
09:09

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

10.6K
Author Spotlight: Advancements in the Fabrication of Synthetic Vocal Fold Models for Phonetic and Robotic Applications
06:24

Author Spotlight: Advancements in the Fabrication of Synthetic Vocal Fold Models for Phonetic and Robotic Applications

Published on: January 5, 2024

1.3K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • The evolution of human speech is a complex process involving changes in peripheral organs and neural control.
  • Non-human primates provide a model for understanding the ancestral auditory-vocal apparatus and its neural mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a continuous evolutionary pathway from primate vocalization to human speech.
  • To identify critical neural and peripheral changes enabling human speech acquisition.
  • To explore the co-evolution of vocal and gestural communication.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes existing research on the auditory-vocal system and neural control in primates and humans.
  • Comparative analysis of peripheral vocal organs and central neural circuits.
  • Examination of evolutionary transitions in vocal plasticity and articulatory control.

Main Results:

  • Key evolutionary changes include direct cortical control of vocal musculature and the formation of an auditory-vocal articulatory circuit.
  • This circuit, or phonological loop, expanded vocal working memory capacity, facilitating complex utterances.
  • The auditory-vocal circuit integrated with multimodal systems, leading to modern speech, with speech eventually becoming the primary communication channel over gestural communication.

Conclusions:

  • Human speech evolved through specific neural adaptations that enhanced vocal control and learning capacity.
  • The development of the auditory-vocal circuit was pivotal in the transition from proto-speech to modern language.
  • While gestural communication played a role, vocal communication, specifically speech, became the dominant mode in human evolution.